Clock escapement means



Oct. 5, 1937. H. NAESS ET AL 2,094,925

' CLOCK ESCAPEMENT MEANS I Filed Oct. 17, 1936 2 Ely-5.

' J gwuc/wfo w Herman Naess, Bulgfrid StrDmTIwI;

Patented Oct. 5, 1937 PATENT OFFICE 2,094,925 CLOCK ESCAPEMENT ,MEANSHerman Naess, New Brighton, Staten Island, and Sigfrid Strommer, NewYork, N. Y.

Application October 1'7, 1936, Serial No. 106,234

5 Claims.

I This invention relates to clocks and more particularly to a novelescapement suitable for clocks, time switches, time fuses, shuttermovements for cameras, tachometers and other timing devices.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a novel escapement whichis never looked but is always in position to start the moment power isapplied and which cannot stop as long as power is supplied. Itsconstruction also eliminates the hair spring, collet, stud, regulator,pallet and fork, pallet pins and dart, roller'and other parts of theusual escapement mechanism, thereby effecting considerable economy inthe manufacture of devices of the type set forth. This inventioncontemplates an escapement that is never at rest, except for an instantat the end of each oscillation of the balance wheel, as long as the mainspring is wound. In other words, the escapement means is powered onlyfrom the main spring, and is so constructed that no hair spring or itsequivalent is necessary to start or to complete each oscillation of thebalance wheel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a balance or balance wheelhaving on one side thereof, eccentric to the balance staff, a novelimpulse member, having curved faces intermittently in contact with theteeth on the escape wheel or wheels, which teeth are also of novelshape, permitting the impulse member to alternately clear the escapementteeth so that the balance wheel does not stop but may freely oscillateas long as power is supplied to the gear train from the main spring.

A further object is to provide a novel arrangement of escape wheelsoperating in conjunction with the balance and impulse pin which ensuresreliable operation of the escapement without the aid of many of theusual parts required for that purpose.

. With the above and other objects in view which will more readilyappear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the Sameconsists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a vertical cross-sectional view of a clock mechanismembodying the present improvements.

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view taken on the .line 22 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a detail sectiqnal iew taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is an inside face view of the balance wheel.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several figures of the drawing.

According to the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing theclock mechanism includes in its organization a main spring S whichactuates the first or main wheel I which forms a part of a gear traindesignated generally as T and the escape wheels 2 and 3 which receivepower through the-train from the main spring. The escape wheels 2 and 3are mounted on a shaft or arbor 4 journaled in the frame parts 5 and 5as shown in Fig. 3.

The escape wheels 2 and 3 are provided with the teeth 2 and 3respectively which are arranged in staggered relation. Each wheelusually includes fifteen teeth and all of the teeth are of the sameshape, and therefore a description of one will suffice for all. Bothfaces of each tooth are substantially straight as indicated at c-c butlie in planes at an angle to each other, like a wedge, to provide apoint or apical portion d. Under the influence of the main spring theseteeth are intended to cooperate with an impulse member A carried by thebalance or balance wheel B, as will presently appear. The balance wheelB is provided with a balance staff 6 which is journalled in the bracketportions 1 and 8 so that the balance staff 4 lies in a plane parallel tothe escape wheels 2 and 3 and medially thereof. Therefore, the balancewheel B is mounted at right angles to the escape wheels 2 and 3.

The impulse member A is of substantially triangular or three-cornerformation and is located on the inner face of the balance wheeleccentric to the axis of the staff 4 (see Figs. 2 and 4). The operativefaces 9 and ll) of the impulse member A are curved as shown, or, inother words, are of concave formation. Preferably the faces 9 and H] areformed on an arc whose radius is five millimeters, although it will ofcourse be understood that this radius may vary for different sizes andtypes of construction. Thus, the impulse pin A has two concave impulsefaces always in the path of the teeth 2 and 3 of the escape wheels andthese faces are adapted to alternately contact with and receive impulsefrom the two escape wheels 2 and 3. When in action the balance wheel Boscillates through an arc of approximately and it is always in positionto start the moment power is applied to the train and cannot stop solong as power is furnished. Suitable safety means are provided tomaintain 7 these conditions through the proper design of the amount ofangular movement of the balance wheel B thatmay be desired in any givencase,

and to prevent the balance wheel which carries;

the impulse member from swinging through too greatan arc, and to keep italways in position to receive an impulse from thenext escape wheel tooththe opposite corners a: and of the member may strike against thecornersof the bracket 1 as will be apparent from Fig. 3. In practicehowever, the arrangement of the teeth 2* and 3% and the width of themember Ausually issuch that the balance normally describes the arc of120 previously referred to. v

j When the main springS is' wound and the gear train T'energized, theforce of the spring will be transmitted by the train to theescapewheels? 1 and 3 and therefore they will turn in the direction'of thearrow shown in Fig. 1. When, for example, the point or apex d of theteeth 3 (Fig. 2) strike the impulse face Ill, the balance wheel B willbe oscillated in the direction of the full line arrow in Fig. 2. Whenthe apex on the tooth 3 releases or clears the face ll] of theimpulsemember it will beapparent that the impulse member A has beenmoved so that its face 7 9 is in position to receive impact from thetooth 2 (Fig. 2) of the wheel 2 whereupon the balance wheel will beoscillated in the direction of the dotted line arrow in Fig. 2 Thisoperation is repeated each time the impulsemember clears a tooth on oneor the other of the escape wheels. Due to the fact that points it of theteeth bear alternately against the concave surfaces 9 and I0, the powerof the main spring will readily os cillate the balance wheel, and alsodue to. the shape of the teeth, they will clear the corners a: and y ofthe impulse member to permit the required movement of the balance and,escape wheels. When the weight and diameter of the balance wheel is incorrect proportion to the power of the main spring the momentumdeveloped by the balance wheel is the main regulating factor; Theproportion of momentum to power tends to equalize the time ofoscillation of the balance wheel.. The frequency of oscillations can bedetermined by the weight and diameterof the balance wheel withinverywide limits.

the hair spring and pallet, etc; as previously. indicated;

H1. An escapement mechanism comprising rotatably driven .means includingtwo annular series of teeth laterally spaced apart, the teeth of eachseries being alined with the spaces between the teethof the otherseries, a balance member, disposed outwardly of said series of V teeth,means extending laterally from said bal- .ance member toward said seriesof teeth and providing. apair of faces related to each other and totheaxis of oscillation of said balance member and to the teeth of saidseries 50 th t One is to be wiped and displaced by the teeth of one ofsaid series to move the balance member in one V teeth of its relatedseries to. pass freely by the samdwherebythe series of teeth may rotatecontinuously and whereby their continuous rotation effects oscillationof said balance member.

' 2. An escapement mechanism comprising a shaft to be driven, escapementwheel means on said shaft including'two annular series of teethlaterally spaced apart, the teeth of each series beingalined with thespaces between the teeth of theother series, an oscillatorybalance-member disposed outwardly "of said series of .teeth, means:extendingllaterall'y from said balance member'toward said series ofteeth and providing a pairof faces related toeach other'and to the axisof oscillationof said balance member and to the teeth of said series so,that one is to be wiped and displaced by the teeth of one of said seriesto move the balance member in one direction and the other is to be wipedand displaced by the teeth of the'other series to move the balancemember in an opposite direction, the

claim2 in which the faces are disposed between the teeth in divergentrelationship as regards the direction of rotation of the teeth, and inwhich the distance between the far edges of said faces as regards thedirection of rotation of the teeth is greater thanthe distance betweenthe teeth of the respective series. a

4. An escapement mechanism comprising a shaftto be driven, escapementwheel means on said shaft including two annular series of teethlaterally spaced apart, the. teeth, of'each series being alined with thespaces between the teeth of the other series, an oscillatory balancemember disposed outwardly of said series of, teeth for rotation inaplane at right, angles to the planes of rotation of. said series ofteeth and about an axis intersecting the axis of .said shaft, meansextending laterally from said balance member to ward said series ofteeth and providing a'pair of faces related to each other-and to theaxis of oscillation of said balance member and to the teeth of saidseries so that one is to be wiped and displaced by the teeth of one ofsaid series to move the balance member in one direction and the other isto be wiped and displaced by the teeth of the other series to move thebalance member in an opposite direction, the. annular spacing of theteeth of said series and the widths and dispositions of said faces beingsuch that each newly acting tooth of each series operates with itsrelated face first to stop the movement imparted to the balance memberby the last acting tooth of the other series and then to impart movementto the balance member in an opposite direction whereby the series ofteeth may rotate continuously and whereby their continuous rotationeffects oscillation of said member.

5. An escapement mechanism as set forth in claim 4 including a frameelement by which the balance member is supported, said frame elementhaving stop formations to be engaged by the means extending from thebalance member and providing the faces to be wiped and displaced by theteeth of the escapement Wheel means to limit the arc of oscillation ofthe balance member.

HERMAN NAESS.

SIGFRID STROMMER.

